Double Trouble (4 page)

She rocked from side to side and then looked up at him wearing a small smile. “Can I make it up to you, Sir? I promise to do anything, anything at all to make you happy.”

Blaine saw her ploy all too clearly. She wasn’t the first to think they could use sex as a tool to ignore his rules.

“Yes. You can pack your bags and be prepared to leave within the hour. Cameron will return you to the city.”

Her eyes widened as her mouth opened and closed. “Leave? Why? Because I didn’t do the work the housekeeper assigned me? She’s jealous of me and gave me all that work to do. I’m sorry. I don’t want to leave.”

Curious, he asked her a question. “Why would Shay be jealous of you?” The older woman had been viciously abused by her husband and Donald had taken her divorce case pro bono. When they built this house, she had come on as their housekeeper and never left. Her submissive personality fit perfectly, but she had no interest in sex or pain.

Thalia met his gaze. “Because she’s fat and old,” she said with a sardonic twist to her lips as if he should know the answer.

Blaine allowed his gaze to sweep down her thin frame and wondered if Cameron could remove this woman in less than an hour. “You obviously don’t recall the contract you signed when you asked, and we agreed, to allow you to live here.”

“I do—”

He placed his hands behind his back as he shook his head. “No! Because if you did, you would understand the penalty for not completing your assigned chores. You don’t pay rent, buy food, clothes, or health insurance while under our care. We take care of all of that, in return you take care of our home… but not to expect a place in our bed. I don’t have sex with my servants, that is in large print on the contract you signed.”

“But, I didn’t –”

He waved down her excuses and stared into her red pinched face. “You were offering me your body in exchange for punishment or in addition to it. It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested. The penalty for breaking as many rules as you have today is not a spanking, for you that would be a reward, it’s termination of your contract.”

“What? I’ve only been here two months? Can’t I have another chance?”

“To do what, offer me your body again? Not help around the house as if you’re some diva? Make more work for everyone else? Or another shot at disrespecting a dear friend of mine. Shay is not my submissive, she works here, like you. And you don’t know her or the problems she’s had well enough to make any comments on how she looks or how old she is. I’d take ten Shays to you any day. Now get your shit packed, Cameron will take you into town.”

“But…but I don’t have any place to go, or any money. I’ve been working here for free the past two months,” she said in a petulant tone.

“He’ll take you to the Castle, you can stay there a few days. I’ll place a call to Mistress Pine, letting her know you’re on your way. We have an account set up with her, so you can stay a week or two while getting yourself together.”

“What about money?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What about rent? Food? Or those clothes you’re wearing. They look a lot better than what you were wearing when you moved in.” He paused seeing her crestfallen expression. “Look, you half-worked the entire time you were here, started drama with the other servants, and broke most of the rules. The only reason I didn’t dismiss you last month was because Shay pleaded on your behalf. She thought we should give you more time, but today I think you proved her wrong.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t defend you when the others complained and that said more than anything. If you think I owe you more than I’ve already given you, that’s your problem. But we were lenient with you and you took advantage. This gravy train stops right now.”

Her eyes widened at his words. She didn’t know one of the servants had told him and Donald she’d called living with them a gravy train.

He pulled out his cell and called Cameron. There was no way he’d allow his son to visit with a woman like this living here. It was going to be difficult enough convincing Lindy to allow his son to visit, he didn’t need any added drama.

Chapter 3

Red sat in his office sifting through the specs for the job he was working on when the door to his office slammed open and Smoke stuck his head in.

“Meeting in the conference room, now,” Smoke growled and then walked off.

Sighing loud and long, Red stood and followed his partner. He had been expecting this confrontation for a day or so. When he entered the room, Ross sat at one end of the long table while Smoke paced on the opposite side. Once Red took a chair a few seats from Ross, Smoke stopped, looked at him and then Ross.

“Why haven’t either of you responded to Julio’s dinner invitation?”

Although the question was couched in a semi-polite, conversational tone, Red knew by the tic in Smoke’s jaw, his friend was pissed. Red glanced at Ross who stared at Smoke.

Clearing his throat, Red drew Smoke’s heated gaze. “You and I both know there’s been some extra stuff happening on the street. Word is the cartel has an interest in Detroit, and folks are attributing it to Julio moving back. I got a wife and kids, man. I don’t want them caught in the crossfire.” Strange, his words sounded weaker now than when he’d rationalized his position a few days ago. With everything going on with his brothers finding out they had a son and that the kid was in the program, perhaps he should rethink his opinion. If his nephew hung in the streets, he definitely did not want to be on Julio’s bad side. Damn, he wished he knew more about the kid.

“What the…” Smoke’s mouth tightened and then he looked at Ross. “You too, this how you feel? That sitting down at a meal with the man who saved your life and your damn livelihood would somehow put your wife and kids in danger?”

Red flinched at the reminder of what they all owed Julio. He had been too hasty.

“Yes. Pretty much,” Ross said in a low voice.

Smoke leaned forward and placed his hands flat on the table. “Let me go on the record saying this… that’s a douche move. Only a bitch with no memory would slap the face that made it possible for your wife and children to see you every night. Or did you forget about the assholes gunning for our asses?” He stepped back and pointed at them. “They stole our company name, did all kinds of trifling shit. Almost shut us down. And you sit here and say you don’t want your family in the crossfire? There would be no damn families if it were not for Julio,” he said in a tight voice.

Red nodded. “I know he’s your friend –”

“Damn right he’s my friend. I’d take a bullet for him. I’d take a bullet for both of you. That’s how I roll for my boys. I don’t judge you and get caught up in bullshit.” Smoke paused. A vein throbbed in his forehead. “Damn, now you got me wondering.”

“Wondering?” Ross asked, watching their partner carefully. Typically it took a lot for Smoke to burn or get riled, but when he did…there were usually fireworks. The man could be unpredictable.

“If I do something you don’t like or think might corrupt your family or place them in danger, would you just write me off. I mean you haven’t even said hi to the man. You don’t know if the shit you heard is true. You didn’t even give this man, your friend, the fucking benefit of the doubt.” He slapped his chest. “So…I’m wondering how you . . .” He pointed at Red and then Ross. “How you’d treat me.” He nodded repeatedly, his hot gaze pinned Red to his chair. “We been through some shit together, but seeing how you handle this, someone you owe big time, it’s got me wondering.”

Ross sat forward in his seat with his hands clasped. “You’re right. It was a douche move. I fucked up. My daughter had a dance recital the night he invited me to the first dinner and I should have accepted the invite the moment it came. I owe the man and Cherise would be pissed as all get out if she knew I hadn’t accepted.” He paused. “But you’re wrong to think I would treat you the same or differently for any reason. When you disappeared, Julio wasn’t the only friend about to tear down this city to find you. He had different resources, can’t argue that, but we did things that we all agreed we’d never discuss again. You my boy and there’s very little you could do that would change my opinion or how I would treat you. If you started fucking up, I would do exactly the same thing you are doing now, pull your ass on the carpet and talk some sense into that hard head of yours.”

Red’s heart plummeted. He’d been the one to bring all the gossip to Ross and started all of this shit. Now he had to face the bear and deal with the fallout. Things had changed. He had a nephew who probably dabbled in Julio’s world. Blaine and Donnie would kick his ass all over town if their son was targeted because of this bullshit. He needed to fix this fast before the twins came to town.

“You talking crazy, now Smoke,” Red said, running his palm across his face. “Nothing you could or would do gonna change us, we brothers. You got a problem, you in some shit, we all up in it. That’s how we roll, so cut that drama.”

“Drama?”

Red waved Smoke down. “We messed up. I messed up. Forgot stuff, important stuff. My bad, you right, it’s a douche move. I haven’t reached out to him, or welcomed him back home yet. The real reason is… I’m not sure how to do that. The Julio I know was a damn carpenter. He had a magical touch with wood, a dry sense of humor, and stayed to himself or hung with you. This Julio… is a top man in the damn mafia or cartel, same thing in my book. What do I say to him? What’s up my man, killed anybody lately?”

“Only if you want to be next,” Smoke said dryly.

Ross chuckled.

“I know, right? You gotta admit things have changed, I don’t know where the lines are with this guy, what if I cross them? I always liked him, I just never knew him that good,” Red said, trying to explain his hesitation.

Smoke straightened and shook his head. “Julio is married. Just like you and you.” He pointed at them. “He wanted to introduce you to his wife…think about that for a moment. His wife.”

Ross nodded.

Red wanted to kick his own ass for forgetting that fact. Denise would be sure to have something to say about that. “Damn, that’s deep. A man doesn’t do that for just anybody.”

“Especially in his business,” Ross said in that quiet tone of his.

“Yeah, that’s where the real insult is. He wanted his wife to meet you and yours so that she had some friends here other than Vianca, because you know my lady was there the first day, she’s just that way.”

“Denise is too,” Red said. “I haven’t told her Julio was back. She keeps saying she wants him to make her a chest of some kind. Wonder if he still does that?”

Smoke snorted. “I’m not going to feel sorry for your ass when she finds out. Vianca has the jump on her. Cherise know about the dinner invite?”

“No, not really. I knew we had other plans the first time and this time… I haven’t mentioned it yet.” Ross finished lamely.

Smoke chuckled shaking his head. “It’s going to get hot up in here soon, fellas. My lady invited yours to a small luncheon at Pam’s, Julio’s wife, in a couple of days. Any bets on what’s going to be discussed?”

Ross closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m dead.”

Red could see Denise now, her eyes would shoot bullets at him. Crazy ass would be the nicest name she would call him. He pulled out his cell and the crumpled invite from his pocket. Searching for the number to RSVP, he dialed.

“This is Benjamin O’Connor, I’d like to confirm dinner for my wife and I tomorrow night.” He met Smoke’s gaze. The man was laughing at him. Red stiffened at what he was hearing.

“Oh. Well thank you.” He removed the phone from his ear slowly and slid the invite to Ross. His partner gave him as weird look before accepting the note. Ross made the same call and wore a look of shock, which was how Red felt.

“Rescinded?” Ross said in a low voice staring at Red.

“You too?” Red released a breath, for a moment he thought Julio had targeted just him when he took back the invitation to dinner.

“Yeah. What’s going on?” Ross turned toward Smoke who stood in front of them with a slight frown.

“Our dinner invitations were rescinded, that’s what the person said on the phone. You know about that?”

Smoke snagged a chair and sat slowly. “No…nope, I had no idea.”

“What does it mean, though?” Red asked, wondering if he and Ross were on a shit list or something.

“I don’t know. Julio and I are friends, but he doesn’t tell me everything,” Smoke snapped.

No one spoke.

Red couldn’t help but feel responsible, if he hadn’t talked to Ross about his own fears, they probably wouldn’t be in this mess.

“Well, I am going to talk to Cherise tonight and come clean. Once she meets Pam and they become friends, maybe we’ll be on the next dinner invitation list. I’ll offer my apologies to him in person then.” Ross sat back in his chair, his gaze briefly touching Red’s before moving on to Smoke.

“I bet Vianca already talked to Denise, but I’ll state my case, listen to her rants for a minute, and then hope for another shot to make this up to him.” He paused. “Unless…unless I have Denise buy a wedding gift and we send it to them with a good wishes card, or something like that.” He liked the sound of that. All brides enjoyed gifts, right? His wife certainly had.

“Sounds like a good idea. I’ll talk to Cherise.”